Synopsis

Clark Griswold is determined to give his family the perfect old-fashioned Christmas, complete with a spectacular light display and a festive gathering of relatives. His plans unravel when the decorations malfunction, unexpected guests arrive, and a series of escalating disasters turns the holiday into comic chaos. Through it all, Clark stubbornly refuses to abandon his vision of Christmas perfection.

Factoids & Trivia

• John Hughes based the screenplay on his National Lampoon short story "Christmas '59."

• This is the third film in the Vacation series and the last installment to carry the National Lampoon name. It was also Hughes' final writing credit in the franchise.

• Chris Columbus was originally hired to direct and began work on the production. He later left the project, after which Jeremiah S. Chechik took over. Some establishing shots filmed during Columbus' brief involvement remain in the finished movie.

• Although the story is set during winter, filming took place during the summer of 1989. Colorado provided mountain and outdoor material, while the Griswold house was filmed on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, California.

• The production used artificial snow for many of the suburban scenes, allowing the filmmakers to maintain a consistent winter look despite the warm-weather schedule.

• Four performers associated with Saturday Night Live appear in the film: Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

• The film opened in the United States on December 1, 1989, and earned more than $71 million in its original domestic release. It remains the highest-grossing entry in the Vacation series.

• "Christmas Vacation," performed by Mavis Staples, was written specifically for the film by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The movie also features a broad selection of traditional and seasonal songs.

• The film received a mixed critical response on release but developed a much stronger reputation over time and became a recurring holiday favorite.

• Mae Questel, known for voicing Betty Boop and Olive Oyl, made her final film appearance in this movie.